Prohibited activities in acting workshop
By: Mondex Professional

Two basic benefits you may benefit from acting workshop - honing acting skills and networking with the people in the industry.

Acting is not a talent per se, it is a skill that can be developed through constant practice. Becoming an actress demands for a workshop. Actors and actresses especially in LA and NY try to advance their acting skills though acting workshops. Acting workshops are usually conducted by private individuals or organizations who hire casting professional to teach personally the participants. The participants who are new actors and actresses pay the casting professional, usually paid for the hours spent. There are however some volunteer organizations that offer free workshops but these are usually open for amateurs and not for professionals.

Recently, in response to a controversial Kretorian talent scam, the California has promulgated a legislation entitled, "The Krekorian Talent Scam Prevention Act", effective January 2010 prohibiting acting workshops to conduct and accept participants in the guise or intention of conducting auditions for their casting projects. Because of this, acting workshops should only serve as an acting school and networking avenue for talents and casting professionals. Note however that this legislation can be circumvented as casting professional may still clandestinely conduct audition. After all, no talents would complaint unless their rights are abused.

Worthy to quote for further reading of this prohibition is an excerpt from AB 1319, as amended. "Existing law regulates the licensing and operation of talent services within the entertainment industry. These provisions govern the making and canceling of contracts, fees to be charged for services, records to be maintained by talent services, bonding requirements, and remedies for violations of these provisions, a violation of which constitutes a crime. This bill would prohibit a person from engaging, as specified, in an advance-fee talent representation service, as defined. This bill would also impose additional disclosure and contract requirements for a talent service, as defined. The bill would make a willful violation of its provisions a misdemeanor and subject to a civil action. Because the bill would create new crimes, it would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason."

Read from the bill introduced in the legislative council of the State of California, the following are some prohibited activities in response to the celebrated case Kretorian talent scam.

First, any person cannot ask for an advance fee in return for a mere offer to engage talent services, an offer to manage the career of the talent, for an audition, or for a service to look for a talent agent or talent manager.

Second, talent agents or talent agencies shall not cause any misleading advertisement, information, promise or offer.

Third, talent agents or agencies shall not directly operate nor own an acting workshop.

Fourth, any person shall not refer to any talent agents or casting professional who accepts a fee in advance.

Fifth, talent listing service shall not directly or indirectly operate, own or financially interested in any acting workshop or any other talent training service or talent counseling service.

Caveat this is a digested information of Article 5 Prohibited Acts of Bill AB 1319, as introduced to the State of California legislators, Krekorian, February 27, 2009.

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